Temple University is importing a veteran desert-based academic to run the show in North Philly. On Feb. 23, the university announced that Elizabeth "Libby" A. Wentz will be its next senior vice president and provost. She is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026, arriving from Arizona State University after nearly 30 years in Tempe. The hire is part of President John Fry’s drive to fill out his senior leadership team as Temple rolls out a new strategic plan.
What the provost will oversee
As Temple’s chief academic officer, Wentz will be responsible for the university’s 17 schools and colleges, its domestic and international campuses, and the academic offices that support student success and research. According to Temple University, Fry said Wentz "emerged as the ideal candidate" and praised her record on student success and faculty development. The university said her selection followed a national search led by faculty and a dean, the kind of committee that tends to grill candidates on everything from budgets to big-picture vision.
From ASU: graduate education and community partnerships
Wentz has built her career in urban planning and geography at Arizona State, where she is a professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and, since 2020, the vice provost and dean of ASU’s Graduate College, according to Arizona State University. ASU project pages note that she founded the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience, a community-engaged effort that links university researchers with local governments and nonprofits to take on urban challenges, a program described on ASU’s resilience site. Her earlier leadership posts at ASU included serving as dean of social sciences and director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning.
Why the hire matters for Temple
Temple leaders are pitching the move as central to executing Forward with Purpose, the university’s new strategic plan that emphasizes student success and place-based research. As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fry said Wentz’s experience with ASU’s online infrastructure was a selling point as Temple looks to grow its digital offerings, and the paper noted that Temple has lost roughly a quarter of its enrollment over the past decade. Wentz told the paper she views urban universities as natural laboratories for internships, research and community partnerships, a perspective that fits neatly with Temple’s neighborhood-facing ambitions.
Next steps and timeline
The appointment is still subject to final approval by Temple’s Board of Trustees, and Temple University says Wentz will officially take office on July 1, 2026. The Temple News reports that David Boardman, dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication, has served as interim provost since July 2025, when former provost Gregory Mandel stepped down, and that Boardman will remain in the role until Wentz arrives. Temple’s announcement also notes that during her time at ASU, Wentz oversaw graduate enrollment growth that averaged 6 percent annually and boosted graduate student funding by more than 20 percent in a single fiscal year, achievements officials say they hope will help Temple stabilize enrollment and expand its research profile.
